Tubular armoring machine



s. w. BOURN TUBbLAR ARMORING MACHINE Flled Nov 5, 1925 .Wn WW W m m I a May 19, 1925.

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Patented May 19, 1925.

UNITED STA rss PATENT orrlcn.

STEPHEN W. BOURN, bF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

TUBULAR ARMORING MACHINE.

Application filed November To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN W. BouRN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented oer.- tain new and useful Improvements in a Tubular Armoring Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in machines for making armor tubing, more formed of a strip of metal wound or coiled helically in tubular form with its edges interlocking rendering the tube flexible and particularly adapted to provide a protecting covering for wire and other cores; and the object of this invention is to provide such a machine in which a rotatable winding reel is mounted in a rotatable frame, the reel being adapted to rotate in the frame in line with the rotating axis thereof, whereby any unevenness in the winding of the tubing upon the reel does not affect the balance of the frame.

A further object of this invention is to provide means whereby the reel may be readily removed from its mounting in the frame.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means whereby one of the heads of the reel may be removed so that after the coil is wound thereon and the reel is removed from its frame the coil can be re-v moved from the reel readv for shipping.

The invention further consists in the provision of flexing rolls or members about or through which the tube is passed after leaving the forming point so that it is softened and in a finished .condition when wound upon the reel.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a face view of the reel frame showing the reel and the flexing rolls mounted therein.

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the wire reel carrying frame and the tube-Winding frame operatively connected together.

a, 1923. Serial No. 672,660.

Fig. 3 shows in elevation that portion of the reel frame which carries the flexing rolls.

Fig. 4 is an another view of the flexing rolls showing the grooved edges of the rolls as interlocked one with the other.

Fig. 5 shows the reel removed from the frame.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one end of tl1e\reel core having a boss, constructed to serve as a driving key.

Fig. 7 is the end of the driving shaft havmg a rest for the reception of the driving key of the reel.

Fig. 8 shows the outer supporting shaft as slotted to receive the corresponding reduced end of the reel and the lock-washermounted thereon.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the metal strip as being wound into-a tube to inclose the wire-core.

Fig. 10 is a reduced side'elevation of the traversing guide-winding motion It is found of advantage in the practical construction of tubular armoring machines of this character, to mount the reel in the reel-frame with its axis in line with the axis of rotation of the frame, whereby if the tube is not winding true upon the reel it will not throw the rapidly rotating frame out of balance, which is the case where the reel is set to rotate on an axis at right angles to the rotation of the frame in which it is mounted.

It is also found of particular advantage to flex or soften and so render less rigid the metal tubular armor before it is wound upon the reel in the frame for two reasons: first, the tube as usually formed is often stiff or somewhat rigid and much difliculty is therefore experienced in winding it properly upon the reel and to overcome this and render it to be easily wound and to lie closely upon the reel, I flex or bend the tube back andforth to soften or render it more flexible before Winding it on the reel; and sec- 0nd, when this flexed and softened tube is wound upon the reel it is in condition to be removed in coiled form from the reel ready for shipment without necessitating subsequent flexing.

It is also found of advantage to so mount the reel in the frame that it may be readily removed and also to so construct the reel I that one of its heads may be removed permit 37 from shaft ting the coil, when a predetermined amount is wound thereon to be removed from the reel and bound up ready for shipment; and the following is a detailed description of means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the metal strip which is wound at the point 11 into tubular form about a Wire core 12 which is being fed from a spool 13 mounted in its frame 14. This metal strip after having been wound into tubular form is led through its inner bearings 15 of the frame 16, to be wound upon a reel 17 mounted in the frame.

The outer end of the frame is supporte on the trunnion 18 in the bearing 19.

My improved reel 17 is; preferably provided wih a central hub 20, one end of which is provided with a projecting key 21 which fits into a corresponding slot 22 in the short shaft 23 mounted in the bearing 24, and the opposite end of this hub is reduced as at 25 to fit into the slot 26 in the trunnion 18 mounted in the bearing 19. 'The opposite ends, of this reel hub are locked in their respective bearings by sliding rings 27 and 28, respectively, which are secured in set position over the hub projections, by set screws 29. The ring 28 is preferably pro- 'vided with an inwardly-extending tongue 30 which may engage the reduced portion 25 of the hub to securely lock it in position in its trunnion.

The rotating motion of the reel 17 for winding the helical tube 31 thereon is imparted to the reel through gears 32 and 33, shaft 34 pulleys 35 and 36 and belt 38 and gears 39 and 40, the last mentioned gear being fixed while the frame 16 is rotated through gears 41 and 42 from the shaft 43, which shaft serves to revolve both the frames 14 and 16 in unison.

The head-plate 44 of the reel 17 is removably secured in position on the body portion thereof by means of a collar 45 and set screw 46, whereby when it .is desired to remove this head the set screw is turned back and the collar and head slid from its bearings thereby permitting the coil which is formed on the reel to be readily removed and bound up pre aratory for shipment.

It is found of a vantage in the construction of a device of this character to provide means for bending back and forth or flexing the helically wound tube before winding it onto the reel and to accomplish this in a simple and efiective way, I have provided a set of rolls 47, 48 and 49, through which this tubing is passed causing it to be bent back and forth in a serpentine path to soften the same and render it flexible and workable which is found in most cases neces-.

sary to be done before the tube is in proper condition for use. By driving the reel through the belt 37 and plain pulleys 35 and 36 the belt is permitted to slip on the rilulleys and so compensate for the ever c angi'ng winding diameter of the reel due to the superimposing of the different layers of tubing thereon.

By my improved construction, I flex this tube intermediate its oint of forming and the point of winding it onto its reel so that directly after being formed it is operated upon and flexed whereby when it reaches the reel it is easily wound thereon and also is in a finished condition so that when removed from the reel in coil-form it is ready to be bound up for shipment.

By my improved construction of armoring machine whereb the tube is not permitted to be woun in such form as to throw the reel out of balance a much higher operating speed may be obtained; second, by flexing the tube directly after being formed it is wound much more readily upon the reel and with less strain upon the winding mechanism; and third, by being able to remove the reel from its frame, and the coil from the reel the coil after having been wound thereon, may be bound in readiness for shipment without being further operated upon. 1

It is found in practice of advantage to provide a traverse motion in the reel-frame for controlling the laying of the tubing upon the reel, the same comprising the usual right and left hand helically-grooved sleeve member 50 which is driven from shaft 34 through the worm 51 and worm gear 52 and shaft 57. A reversing shoe 53 which traverses back and forth along this sleeve through this right and left hand grooved member 50, is guided by a slide shaft 55 in its bearings 54 and on this slide shaft is mounted a U-sha'ped guide member 56 which engages the tubing to lead it to the reel and lay its coils in close formation thereon.

The foregoin description is directed solely towards t e construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the rivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a tubular armoring machine means for helically winding a metal strip into tubular form, a rotatable reel frame, a reel mounted in said frame to rotate on the romounted in said frame to rotate on the rov tating axis of said frame, means for driving said reel to Wind the armored tubing thereon, said means for driving the reel being arranged to compensate for the changing winding diameters of the reel.

3. In a tubular armoring machine, means for helically winding a metal strip into tubular form, a rotatable reel frame, a reel mounted in said frame, means in the reel mounting means whereby the reel may be readily removed from its operating position in said frame and said reel being set to rotate on the rotating axis of the frame, and means for driving said frame and the reel to wind the armored tubing upon the latter.

4. In a tubular armoring machine, means for helically Winding a metal strip into tubular form, a rotatable reel frame, a reel readily removably mounted in said frame to rotate on the rotating axis of the frame, means for driving said frame and the reel to Wind the armored tubing onto the reel, and means for removably mounting one of the heads of said reel whereby the coil may be readily removed from said reel after having been Wound thereon.

5. In a tubular armoring machine, means for helically Winding a metal. strip into tubular form, a rotatable reel frame, a hollow frame bearing through which the tubing is fed onto the frame, a reel readily removably mounted in said frame to rotate on the rotating axis of the frame, means for driving said frame and the reel to Wind the armored tubing on the reel, and means for removably mounting one of the heads of said reel whereby the coil may be readily removed from said reel after having been Wound thereon.

6. In a tubular armoring machine, means for helically Winding a metal strip into tubular form, a rotatable frame, a reel mounted in said frame, means for driving said reel to wind the armored tublng thereline of travel intermediate the point of forming and the reel.

7. In a tubular armoring machine, means for helically Winding a metal strip into tubular form, a rotatable frame, a reel mounted in said frame to rotate on the rotating axis of said frame, means for driving said reel to Wind the armored tubing thereon, and means for flexing the tube intermediate the point of forming and the reel.

8. In a tubular armoring machine, means for helically Winding a metal strip into tubular form, a-rotatable reel frame having a tubular bearing through which this tube is fed to the frame, a reel mounted in said frame to rotate on the rotating axis of said frame, means for driving said reel to Wind the armored tubing thereon, and means carried by said reel frame for flexingthe helical tube before it is Wound on the reel.

9. In a tubular armoring machine, means for helically Winding a metal strip into tubular form, a rotatable frame, a reel mounted in said frame, means for driving said reel to Wind the armored tubing thereon, means for flexing the tube in a plurality of directions out of a straight line of travel intermediate the point of forming and the reel, and a traverse motion for directing the laying of the tubing upon the reel.

10. In a tubular armoring machine, means for helically Winding a metal strip into tubular form, a rotatable frame, a reel mounted in said frame, means for driving said reel to- Wind the armored tubing thereon, and means intermediate the point of forming and the reel for sharply bending the tube to render the same more pliable.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

STEPHEN W. BOURN. 

